


Premonition

by Kuro_Nekko



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23816605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuro_Nekko/pseuds/Kuro_Nekko
Summary: Just when things were starting to settle down, another conflict arises. This time it's a little closer to home. With Tifa keeping secrets, Cloud can't come to terms with the fact that there might be another man besides him in Tifa's life, but what if it's all in his head? Set three years after Dirge of Cerberus. Cloti
Relationships: Cloud & Tifa, Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart, Cloud/Tifa, Tifa & Cloud, Tifa Lockhart & Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	1. Together but Separate

Tifa considered not picking up her phone. It had been the fifth time since he called her today and it was only eleven. She had the sense to get a new phone just so she couldn't hear it ringing every ten minutes and was even contemplating about making a stop at the store to sell it. Of course, she knew she couldn't do that. It has been a few months since she had seen anyone from their group. They were always diligent in their work but in her eyes their cautiousness often irked her.

She heaved a sigh and reached over to the night stand, her fingers finding her phone and opened it without checking.

"What?" She groaned.

"Tifa?"

"Cloud?" She sat up immediately. "Hey."

"Hey. You busy?"

"No. Why?"

"Can you do something for me?" He asked.

Tifa almost said no. Her legs were aching as they were still sore from her jog. When she returned to Seventh Heaven, she had dropped on her bed and her body hadn't even begun to cool off.

Instead, she sighed. "Uh, sure. What is it?"

"Go in my desk—"

She stood up and went to his room.

"—and check the right drawer, there should be a folder."

Cloud was right, of course.

"Why do you need it?" She asked, placing the thick folder on his desk.

"I got a ticket this morning."

Her eyes widened. "For what?"

"...Speeding, and my license expired."

"Oh, Cloud," she sighed, exasperated. She looked down at his desk and frowned when she spotted his cellphone. "Don't tell me you're calling me through one of those payphones."

"Would you be mad at me if I said yes?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to," she replied, shaking her head. "Are you paying your fine now?"

"Yeah," Cloud sighed, "I'm sorry, Tifa."

"Don't worry. As long as you're fine, right?"

Cloud grunted. "Fenrir doesn't look fine. They were inspecting it; saying it's not a safe bike."

Tifa could almost imagine his distressed expression and chuckled. "Anything else you need me to do?"

"Well, uh..."

"What is it?"

"Can you come down to the DMV building?"

Tifa looked up. The board hanging on Cloud's wall showed a map of Edge and another one of the Planet. Red pins were on various cities with a blue thread connecting them. Her finger found the map of Edge and she roamed around until she located the DMV building; it was on the other side of the city.

"Tifa?"

She bit her lip. "Can't you do this another day?"

"I can but–"

She chuckled. "Let me guess, they won't let you leave with Fenrir?"

"...Yeah."

Tifa shook her head but the corners of her lips tilted up. "Alright, I'm coming."

"Thanks, Tifa." She could hear the smile in his voice just as he hung up.

Cloud had the sudden urge to get up from his seat and start pacing. He despised waiting but here he was in a waiting room, in the newly refurbished building of Edge's DMV. His morning had started off fine until a police officer pulled him over because he was pushing the speed limit. And as luck would have it, he realized his license had expired and his bike was taken from him. He had to delay his package for another day and upon informing his customer of the news, he was greeted with scorn. It happened all in the span of two hours and it wasn't even noon yet.

Being the savior of the Planet had its perks but even then he wasn't given the privilege of (as Barret calls it) free shit. Not that Cloud would take advantage if he had such benefits but it would have really helped especially when Fenrir was in the hands of the police so thus he was forced to suffer like any other citizen.

Tifa took her sweet time coming. Some of the workers in the DMV building were already returning from lunch when she arrived. Judging by her leisure stride she must have had lunch, too. He was sitting on the bench waiting to be called then he glanced up when Tifa stepped in.

Immediately, heads turned at the sight of her. She must have not been concerned about her appearance because all she had on was a red sports bra, black mid thigh shorts and sneakers. Despite the hot weather Cloud wished she had bought a sweater. He knew that she went exercising on her day off but the workout clothes she wore was revealing. Maybe not as much as that mini skirt she used to wear but at least they didn't hug her voluptuous figure. Seeing as it was the only thing separating her from naked flesh, the workout clothes were tight against her every curve and muscle. Even after years of living with her, Cloud took great pains just to focus on her face but it was other people that bothered him. He never failed to ward off men who catcalled Tifa but he was always worried when she was alone.

Cloud shifted in his seat but nodded at her in thanks as she approached.

"Took you long enough," he greeted.

Tifa smiled. "It's not exactly easy, seeing as we live on the other side of Edge."

Cloud snorted and noticed her sweat tinted skin. It gave her a pleasant glow that made his insides curl.

Despite this, he grimaced. "Don't tell me you ran all the way here."

Tifa fixed him with an irritated look but handed over his folder.

"And you're the reason why I'm here," she quipped. She sat next to him and removed the sweatband from her wrist. After a moment of silence, she asked, "You have any deliveries left?"

Cloud shook his head.

Tifa smiled at him. "That's good."

"Why's that?"

"I was thinking we could take the kids out to eat." Her smile seemed to widen at the prospect. "It's been a while since we ate out and I'm sure they'll like that. And I kind of don't want to cook tonight."

Cloud smirked at that. "Hang on for a bit," he said, standing up with the folder in his hand. "Let me take care of this and then we'll go." Hopefully, with Fenrir.

"Uh," Tifa looked up at him and smiled apologetically, "I have to do something in an hour."

Cloud blinked down at her.

"So, I'll see you whenever I get home," she finished.

Well, that was unexpected.

Staring, Cloud studied her. For some reason, his throat became dry and there was a terrible aching growing in the pit of his stomach. He had the sudden urge to ask her what she was up to. However, he could only nod stiffly.

She tilted her head at him," Is something wrong?"

"No. Uh, I'll...see you later."

It was only after he stepped near the booth that he heard Tifa's phone go off.

An hour later, Cloud was relieved to return home with Fenrir. On the way to Seventh Heaven, his thoughts bought him to Tifa, and frowned. Whatever she was doing, he wished that she'd return soon. He wanted to spend the day with her doing... Well, he didn't know what they'd do yet it irked him when his plans were thwarted. Although, if he was being honest with himself he knew that her lack of presence didn't bother him.

I have to do something in an hour.

Like what? He groaned and mentally kicked himself for not asking. Now, he was stuck wondering what she was doing. For some reason, his mind conjured up scenarios of Tifa secretly meeting someone... someone special and handsome—

He shook his head. Thoughts like that only left him miserable. He knew better.

And yet, his eyebrows furrowed as he considered the idea that there was someone special in Tifa's life. Someone strong, emotionally and physically like she was cut out to be. Someone stable and well-grounded. His mind conjured up a tall man wearing a wide but kind smile. He would be charismatic, rich, with high cheekbones and eyes that made women swoon. He was someone who people looked up to and leaned on when they needed support. Someone that was everything Cloud wasn't.

He pulled to a stop in front of Seventh Heaven and kicked the stand in. With one leg on the ground, he sat back and removed his riding googles. He felt his chest tighten at the idea that there was someone other than him that filled Tifa's thoughts. He managed to roll his eyes at that. She's probably out shopping for Marlene's birthday present or working out at the gym. But even if she wasn't, it's not like Tifa was ever his. There was always a we or us when it came to them but not in a romantic way. They were a family. Besides, whoever she dates was not for him to decide.

But no matter how many times Cloud told himself that it didn't bother him he grew rigid.

Sounds of giggles interrupted his inner turmoil and he glanced over his shoulder to see two grinning faces looking up at him.

"Boo!"

"Got you!"

Denzel smiled broadly while Marlene hugged Cloud around his waist and snuggled her face into his back. "You were busy staring into space you didn't notice us. Did we scare you?"

Cloud snorted but smiled as he got off his bike. "No. How was school?"

"Boring," Denzel said.

"Yeah. There's nothing interesting going on." Marlene pulled away and sighed before she looked up at him pleadingly. "Can't we just skip school for the rest of the week? It's only two weeks until summer."

Cloud chuckled. They already knew his answer but that never deterred them from asking.

"Well, if you skip school I guess that means we can't eat out tonight," Cloud said.

Tifa was right. It had been a while since they ate at a restaurant because suddenly the kids wanted to go to their favorite restaurant and the word "no" or "maybe" seemed to fall upon deaf ears. Their cries of protest ended as soon as he promised them that they would, in fact, eat out and Cloud shook his head at their excited, grinning faces. Not that Tifa's cooking wasn't top notch (she cooked stew much better than his mother) but Cloud figured that the kids wanted something nice for a change.

Speaking of.

Tifa returned around five. Cloud had taken Marlene and Denzel to the park and when they arrived home and Tifa was already waiting for them. She smiled at them and the kids greeted her cheerily before she rushed them upstairs to prepare to eat out.

"So, where were you, Tifa?" Denzel asked innocently.

"Yeah," Marlene looked up with questioning brown eyes. "You're always waiting for us when we get back from school."

"I wasn't gone long," Tifa replied, exasperated.

"But we missed you," Marlene whined, "and Cloud didn't bring money to the park so he couldn't buy us candy!"

"And?" Tifa prompted.

"Denzel tried climbing up a tree and Cloud didn't do anything about it."

Denzel glared at Marlene, not expecting the strange betrayal as Tifa gave Cloud a pointed look. Putting a hand on her hip, she asked, "Is that true? First, the ticket and now this?"

"What ticket?" Denzel asked.

"Nothing, sweetie," Tifa said before she quirked an eyebrow at Cloud. "Well?"

"The kids suggested that they skip school for the rest of the week," was all he said.

That kept her busy long enough for Cloud to slip into his room, unnoticed. Their voices were clear as he closed the door and began to dress up. He smiled as the kids tried to keep Tifa from going into her room, her silence obviously throwing the kids into a panic.

Cloud had learned that she was better off angry than staying silent and this especially went for Marlene and Denzel. After the Geostigma was cured, they seemed more at ease... and mischievous. Always eager, their constant energy was oddly refreshing but also draining. As for their streak of getting into trouble, Cloud figured that since he wasn't that great growing up it was a phase. Tifa thought it was ordinary and sometimes she'd play along with them until something got out of hand.

The kids had started talking sweetly to Tifa, telling her how much they missed her while she was gone. Cloud couldn't help but frown. The two hours he spent with the kids without Tifa he felt like something was missing. Obviously it was her. Her reassuring presence and devotion was what kept their family together. When they were at the park, Cloud felt that their activity outside was empty. Maybe the kids hadn't felt it but the spot on the bench next to where Cloud sat as he watched the kids sure felt like it.

As he dressed, Cloud recalled what happened earlier. Maybe if he told her about his day, she'd do the same. That's usually how it went. If he bought it up during dinner, there was no way she could dodge his questioning gaze. It was added bonus that the kids would be there. They're better at coaxing things out of her. He just hoped that whatever she did during those two hours was something he wouldn't lose sleep over.

By the time they were walking back to Seventh Heaven, Marlene fell asleep. Cloud was grateful that she was still small enough for him to carry however she kept her knees pressed against his stomach, causing him discomfort. Tifa was silent, thinking deeply but she didn't voice her thoughts and between them Denzel was making an effort to stay awake as he tried to stifle his yawns.

Dinner had gone not as Cloud had expected and he wanted to groan in frustration. He was hoping the kids would help him out in getting Tifa into telling what she did earlier however they kept asking questions about his day. But they were worried about him and the whole time they spent it discussing school, their friends, or trivial matters.

Tifa unlocked the front door to Seventh Heaven and held it open. After going upstairs and waking up Marlene, the kids fell into the routine of changing into their pajamas and brushing their teeth. Tifa kissed their foreheads when she tucked them in bed and closed the door to their room.

"Goodnight," Tifa said, smiling drowsily at Cloud before turning the doorknob to her room.

"Night."

Instead of going to bed, Cloud went straight to his desk and slumped in his chair. He placed his elbows on the table and put his head between his arms, the movement knocking over several items. Lifting his head, he readjusted the framed portrait but paused to examine it. The picture was taken two months ago where they spent their spring break in Wutai. Yuffie had taken the picture of just him and Tifa. He stared at himself as a smiling Tifa sat next to him and tilted her head so it rested on his shoulder. Seeing it reminded him of the time they spent together under the Highwind.

Cloud bit his lip. He vividly remembered that day on their vacation. Marlene and Denzel were playing with Shelke Rui and the former Tsviet attracted the attention of the local kids while he and Tifa sat down on a nearby bench watching them, and basked in the silence of one another's company. He remembered wrapping his arm around her waist and how warm the spot of his lower back was where she had placed her hand. The proximity had rendered him breathless. It always did. The times that they shared intimate moments were few since neither of them were openly affectionate with each other. Sure, he received hugs from Marlene and Denzel and occasionally Yuffie but with Tifa, he was always tense. After years of living with her and he felt like there was an impenetrable barrier between them.

Cloud sat back in his seat and placed his foot over his bended knee. As much as he loved his family, he wondered if it was enough. There was no doubt that the kids loved having him around and Tifa was happy because they were all safe and sound and living a comfortable life, but what did Tifa want? Did she... want more?

Cloud's eyes closed. He knew he wanted something more than just friendship when it came to Tifa. The problem was he couldn't determine if she wanted the same thing. After all, it was always difficult to tell with her. Maybe she had felt that way before the Geostigma; before Meteor. He was too afraid to confront her about it so he resolved that something (whatever that may be) was going to happen eventually between them.

Yet it seemed like neither of them was willing to cross the border of their friendship. And Gaia, it was killing Cloud just to sit and think about how to approach her about it. There was the possibility of strengthening their care for each other and forming it into something more but then there was the fear of ruining it. She had seen him at his best and his worst. He left her to fend for herself and when he came back she accepted him with open arms. Talk about loyalty. But there were times when he wondered maybe that's not just unrelenting dedication; it's love.

And then he'd scoff at the idea.

"Cloud?"

Cloud's eyes snapped open and looked at his door to see Denzel. He grew concerned as he saw Marlene standing behind him, clutching her pillow. "Denzel, Marlene, what are you doing up?" he asked.

Denzel looked over his shoulder before looking back at him. They both stepped into his room and made a show of closing the door without making it squeak.

Cloud raised a skeptical eyebrow. He tried to keep his expression placid but his breath got caught in his throat. "Alright, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Uh, can we talk to you about something?"

"'Bout what?"

"It's about Tifa."

Cloud turned his desk chair around. "What about Tifa?"

Marlene stepped closer. "She's been acting kind of weird."

No, she hasn't, Cloud almost said. At least, that's what he thought. But since he was usually busy with his deliveries, he didn't see her every minute of the day so he couldn't be certain.

Cloud gestured them over to his bed and both of them sat down. "How so?" He asked.

"Well," Denzel's eyes roamed around the room, "sometimes, when we're helping her downstairs her phone keeps ringing."

"And it can't be you calling because if it was then she'd smile and pick up."

Cloud raised his eyebrows. Well, that's nice to know.

"And you only call when you're gonna be late which rarely happens." Denzel added.

Cloud frowned. "Wait, so someone calls her phone and she doesn't pick up?"

"Yeah," Denzel concurred. "And the other time I caught her sneaking out."

"What?"

"What!" Marlene looked as shocked as Cloud. The little girl rounded on Denzel. "You never told me that."

"Sorry!" Denzel looked over to both of them with hunched shoulders.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, rubbing the boy's back.

"A few days ago, I woke up to use the bathroom. It was around two o'clock and I heard the door downstairs open. When I went down to check, Tifa told me to go back to bed." Denzel paused. "And when I did, I waited for her to come back upstairs but she didn't."

Denzel bit his lip then looked at Cloud, waiting. As much as Cloud wanted to believe the story, he rationalized that the kids were just worrying. Despite their age, they grew anxious whenever something strange happened to their family. Considering their past experiences, it was only natural.

"Do you think Tifa's gonna leave us?" Marlene wondered.

Cloud instantly shook his head. The concept of Tifa leaving was inconceivable but the heavy silence seemed to add to the children's apprehension.

Cloud stood up. "Alright, back to bed."

"But—"

"I'll talk to her about it. Besides, you two have school tomorrow and Tifa would—"

"Would what?"

Cloud had opened the door as he softly spoke to the kids. Without paying attention, he almost bumped into Tifa.

Cloud studied her. "Hey."

"Hey," Tifa greeted, clearly amused. She tilted her head at Marlene and Denzel and jerked her head to their room. "Back to bed, you two."

After tucking the kids in Cloud ignored their probing looks and noticed that Tifa was avoiding his gaze. They shut the children's bedroom door and stood awkwardly in the hallway in silence.

"How much did you hear?" He finally asked.

Tifa shrugged. "Not much. Just the last part. I went into the kids room to check on them."

He nodded, satisfied, before looking away. "Tifa, you mind if we talk?"

She didn't seem surprised.

"Downstairs," she sighed.

Following behind her, they entered the living room and sat on the sofa. Next to him, Tifa's posture appeared relaxed but her eyes told a different story. Her expression was a mix of guilt and apprehension. Her hands were on her lap and her feet were tucked under her legs. She didn't even look at him.

This was one thing they had agreed on when he returned after the Geostigma was cured. As she was the one who pushed the idea, they both would talk about whatever was bothering them. Perhaps the intention was that there would be no secrets between them but Tifa explained it as a way of opening up and for neither of them to take any heavy burdens alone. It had to work both ways and usually it was him that needed a sit down but now it was her.

"Denzel says you... sneak out." Cloud began.

Tifa took in a deep breath before letting it out. "I wouldn't call it sneaking out," she confessed. "I just go for a walk."

"A walk?" he repeated blankly.

"Yeah. I have to say it's nice," she admitted. "Getting away and just walking...thinking. Don't worry, I only leave when you're here and I stay out for at least half an hour." She paused and struggled to find the right words. "It's just... when I go out, I feel, um," she looked around the room, "how can I put this...?"

"No, it's alright; I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

It made perfect sense. He had done it himself. He knew better than anyone that it felt good to get away from it all. To be free from responsibilities and indulge in that carefree feeling.

Tifa glanced at him, her rich reddish brown eyes filled with an emotion that Cloud had come to familiarize.

Suddenly he felt selfish. Tifa always spent time worrying over others that she didn't have time for herself. Cloud was sure that if she won the lottery she'd store it in the bank and use it for emergencies. There was not a time in her schedule that she spent without catering to the kids or tending the bar. Sure, she started exercising in the gym on her day off but he could understand why a walk alone in the middle of the night could ease her mind.

Cloud's pursed his lips. He recalled the time when he had left the day that the first signs of Geostigma started appearing on his arm. As troubled as he was, he found that getting away from Tifa and the kids had been refreshing but it was the sickness that kept him from going back. Tifa went out for a walk to clear her head and... and he couldn't be selfish enough to take that away from her.

"You could have told me," he finally said.

The sad expression melted from her face to form into a sheepish and relieved grin. "Sorry. I didn't know how to bring it up."

"Don't apologize. But you got the kids concerned."

"I'll talk to them tomorrow," Tifa reassured, "I just hope they don't get the idea that it's okay to go out at night." She laughed mirthlessly.

Cloud considered that. "Well, at least you come back."

Tifa grimaced. "Hey—"

"I know, I know. It's behind us. Sorry. I—just... be careful."

Tifa reached over and squeezed his hand. "When am I not?"


	2. Scars and Bruises

"Thank you so much, you're such a dear," the old woman crooned.

Cloud nodded meekly. He had been sending packages to Mrs. Ronan for half a year since her six children turned to his delivery service. They often sent her gifts and though it warmed him to see a loving family being supportive, he had to wonder if Mrs. Ronan was...stable. Whenever he came to deliver the monthly package, the old lady would smile at Cloud and say that he reminded her of her dead husband and everytime, he would remember his mother saying that he should get an older girlfriend, and he shuddered. He would leave without asking Mrs. Ronan to sign the receipt because he didn't want to linger after hearing that statement.

Leaving Junon, Cloud paid attention to the speed limit, not wanting to get another ticket. Once he left the city, the open green fields greeted him. The summer air warmed his skin and the crisp wind pushed his spiky hair back. He only went full throttle when he entered the forest. Tall trees began to surround him along with the musky scent of flowers and animal markings.

Through his goggles, he squinted. His eye caught a light blue object that stood out in the middle of the brown that stretched beside him. No one was behind him and he didn't see any oncoming vehicles. Over the engine of Fenrir, he heard a high pitched scream.

Gradually, Cloud pulled to a stop and parked his bike on the side of the road. He grabbed one of his swords from its compartment and stepped through the trees. Having passed this particular forest many times, Cloud knew what type of monsters lurked around. The monsters usually stayed away from the road however, the one he spotted seemed to stray too close. Not many people chose this route to get to Edge from Junon but he did, since it was faster, and when some challenged this path they ended up dead or missing. Cloud recalled the one time he was paid to find and escort a couple of daring teenagers out of this forest. And how fun that turned out. He didn't want a repeat of that.

His eyes narrowed. Cloud must have been twenty meters away from the monster. Behind him, the setting sun cast a huge shadow of his body. When the sunlight hit the monster's body, it reflected. Like a crystal. He had to shield his eyes from the blinding light it radiated but he could already tell that it was a monster he hadn't seen before.

Cloud felt his stomach twist. He stepped closer, cautiously with one hand on the hilt of his sword. His eyes suddenly widened once he got a clear view of the monster. No, it wasn't a monster. It was a human. And it looked like Sephiroth.

Before he could step any closer, the thing shrieked and ran in the opposite direction.

Cloud returned home around six o'clock. The kids greeted him and asked if he got them anything to which he replied no and the two scurried back to their rooms to finish their homework. Tifa sensed his troubled mood and tilted her head at him but he shrugged and just told her it was a long day.

He tried to shake off the image of that crystallized monster. It couldn't be Sephiroth. Shit. What if it was? Cloud shook his head. For Gaia's sake, why didn't he just stay dead? No, how could he even be sure it was him? It can't be Sephiroth. But the more he pondered on it the anxiety kept eating at him.

He tried to think about something else. He was in the garage, sitting on the stool, fixing Fenrir when it struck him. He never asked Tifa about the phone calls. Marlene and Denzel had said that Tifa received calls from someone but she ignored them. And he noted, for the hundrenth time since the kids informed him, that she only answered his calls and she'd even smile. Maybe she was seeing someone but since she wasn't returning any of those calls, Cloud hoped that she was telling this guy that she was no longer interested. He was comforted and relieved at the notion but he couldn't be sure that she was even seeing someone to begin with. For all he knew, maybe it was those pesky telemarketers that had the nerve to blow up her phone.

Since the night that he found out about Tifa's habit of taking a late stroll, he'd see her off and find himself on the couch waiting for her to come back. It bothered him that he couldn't join her or know what she was up to. Nevermind the fact that she went for a walk in the middle of the night, but where did she even go?

Probably into some guy's house.

Cloud ran a hand through his hair. "Great."

Denzel popped up from behind Tifa's pickup truck. "What is?"

Cloud didn't even know the boy was in the garage with him. He was so quiet. Maybe it had something to do with spending time around the "Great Ninja" Yuffie?

Nah.

"Nothing," Cloud answered.

"Are you sure?"

Cloud changed the subject. "Did you finish your homework?"

Before Denzel could answer, Marlene came prancing in the garage.

"Dinner's ready!"

He didn't need to be told that Tifa was done cooking. The door to the garage was connected to the kitchen and Cloud had already smelled the waft of Tifa's Shanghai Lumpia cooking in the stove pot. She had a timer set for ten minutes and he heard it go off about half an hour ago.

They sat down on their usual table in the bar. Marlene had already set up four plates along with some spoon and forks. A glass of water was placed next to each plate along with a single napkin and the food was placed in the middle.

"Where's the rice?" Denzel wondered, eagerly eying the food.

"It's in the microwave," Tifa said, smiling.

When the microwave went off, Tifa hurriedly strolled over to the kitchen. The sound of glass breaking erupted and instinctively, Cloud rushed to the kitchen.

Tifa was staring down at the wreckage laid out before her. Shards of glass mixed with grains of hot white rice splattered on the tiled floor.

"Kids, stay back. There's glass everywhere," Tifa warned. She was cradling her arm, her face contorted in pain.

Cloud manuevered his way around the glass and reached Tifa. "What's wrong?"

"My arm."

"How bad is it?" He asked, squeezing her arm.

Her response was a sharp hiss that escaped through her clenched teeth.

"Must have sprained it," she said.

Cloud turned to the kids. "You guys go eat."

Marlene looked at the kitchen floor. "What about the glass?"

"What about the rice?" Denzel muttered.

"Just eat," he told them sternly. "We'll be back." He held Tifa by her elbow gently and led her upstairs.

"Cloud, I'm fine," she told him once they reached the top step.

He snorted. He'd seen her carry four plates before when she served customers. She definitely had the balance and muscle to do that especially without a tray. He made a mental note to buy one for her when he had the chance. No, he wasn't overeacting. How could someone carry four plates and hand them out perfectly but stumble on a small bowl of rice?

Maybe she just slipped. Maybe the bowl was too hot.

Well, too late to turn back and make a fool of himself. Besides, she said her arm's sprained. He opened the door to the bathroom and turned on the lights. When Tifa looked at him and saw that he wasn't caving in, she relented and sat on the toilet seat.

"Roll up your sleeves," he instructed.

His mind drew a blank when he realized that there wasn't much he could do. He could massage her arm but that could cause more damage. He was aware that a sprained arm didn't mean he'd have to amputate it (not that he'd ever consider that option, at least with her) but Tifa rarely got hurt and when she did, he treated her with meticulous care.

When he turned to her, she still hadn't rolled up her sleeves. He reached for her arm but she jerked away.

"Alright, fine," she huffed.

Swiftly, she pulled her sleeves up and Cloud tried his best not to stare as if she just pulled up her shirt. However, he couldn't help but feel his eyes widen to see dark bruises covering her arm. Small cuts decorated her limbs, the marks traveling from her wrists to her elbows. He could tell the scars were fresh, probably done by a sword or a knife, and was relieved when he observed that they weren't self-inflicted. He wouldn't know how to handle this if Tifa was having suicidal thoughts.

But it was impossible. How could he not have spotted them before? Hell, last week she wore one of those tops that showed off her stomach and arms and she didn't have a scratch. Cloud paled as he thought of any other scars that were hiding on her body.

"Tifa, how'd you get these?"

She bit her lip. He waited, his piercing gaze intensifying with every second that passed.

"My sparring partner," she finally said.

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Okay, fine," she said, "the other night, I came across some thugs who tried to rob me."

Cloud shook his head. She was still lying. "Couldn't handle it?"

"There were five, and they had knives."

"I've seen you take on bigger guys, Tifa. How'd you get these?"

She pursed her lips. "Does it matter?"

Cloud's jaw tightened. This back and forth wasn't getting them anywhere. "Fine, but did you get these from one of your walks?" Her silence was all the answer he needed. He sighed heavily. "Why didn't you say anything about this?"

"I didn't want you to worry," she shrugged. "And it didn't seem much of a big deal."

Cloud kneeled down next to her. "Let's say five guys really did attack you, and this," he gestured to her arm, "was the result. You're telling me that that is not important enough to bring up?"

Tifa nodded a little too quickly.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. Something about this didn't seem right. He had never been direct with her before but over the years, he learned to stop shying away from her. There was always that barrier that separated them but he thought that they were past that. That there were no secrets between them.

Cloud shifted on his feet. "Are you lying?"

"No."

Her response was immediate so she still wasn't telling the truth.

Cloud shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "Tifa, I'm not sure you should be going on these walks."

Something akin to panic flashed across her face before it turned into calm consideration. "Why not?"

Before he could stop himself, he asked. "Are you... dating someone?"

"What?"

"Is he doing this to you?"

"What? Cloud, no!" Cloud couldn't determine if she was answering his first or second question but judging by her flushed cheeks and the way she instantly avoided his gaze, he knew the answer. At that, he felt a sharp twist in his stomach.

He had to close his eyes as he fumed. He could tolerate it if she was dating someone—ah, who was he kidding? He was far from okay with that. But it wasn't like there was anything going on between them now was there? Especially before the Geostigma. So, it shouldn't have bothered him.

But it did and he could testify to that. Was it just him or was there something in those subtle moments they shared together? The rare hugs they had would last longer; they started bantering and playfully poking or pushing one another; they would cuddle on the couch and watch a movie after putting the kids to bed. He would return her radiant smiles with his shy ones. And he would bet Fenrir that he wasn't imagining the longing in her eyes whenever he caught her staring at him. Last week, she even kissed him on the cheek when he was about to leave for his three day delivery trip. He figured he'd take longer trips if it meant she would do that more often. Of course, that meant he would spend less time with her so he shot that idea down.

But... But if someone else made her happy, then he'd step down. He wouldn't be happy about it but even when they were kids, he always felt like he didn't deserve her. Even now, he didn't think he was good enough. However, he wasn't going to stand by if she was being treated like this.

Cloud studied her arm once again, his fingers absentmindedly stroking the bruises. "Tifa—"

"Cloud, please, just," she interrupted. Her gaze suddenly became tender and loving. Cloud found himself drowning in her eyes. "will you...take care of me?"

He opened the cabinet under the sink and grabbed the medical kit and bandages. As he worked on her arm and wrapped the bandages around it, a million thoughts ran through his head and he tried to control his actions so they wouldn't hurt her. She's lying. She is seeing someone. Whoever he was, was he hurting her? Cloud swore silently and promised he would hunt down this bastard. The fact that Tifa was dating someone sent a stab straight to his heart but the fact that she was in an abusive relationship sent a wave of heat to rise from his chest to his head.

It didn't matter. They were going straight to the Golden Saucer the day after Denzel and Marlene's last day of school. Cloud would need to talk with Barret about their arrangement. He knew that Barret wouldn't mind keeping the kids around for a few extra days so it would give Cloud some more alone time with Tifa. Hopefully, she would reconsider her relationship with the prick that did this to her and end things with him. And if she didn't, Cloud would.

Another part of him told him to stay out of it. It's her decision. She's not yours, he told himself. Tifa's smart. She'd know when to end things if it got ugly.

When he finished tending to her wounds, he stalked out of the bathroom, barely hearing the "thank you" being sent his way, and went downstairs. Marlene and Denzel glanced at him, curious but concerned, and he forced himself to relax.

Dinner continued as if the incident in the kitchen and the conversation he had with Tifa upstairs hadn't occured. Being the first to finish, Tifa hurried to the kitchen to clean the mess of glass and rice with a broom and dustpan. Once that was done, she went upstairs, not noticing the three attentive pair of eyes that watched her.

When Cloud was clearing the table and putting away the dishes, he could distinctly hear the constant ringing of Tifa's phone from upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shanghai Lumpia is a Filipino dish which (in my opinion) is better tasted with white rice along with some sweet and spicy sauce on the side. I had it the other night so might as well write about it.
> 
> These fics are pretty old and I'm cringing from my awful writing. I'm re-uploading these from fanfiction.net so please bear with me.


	3. Unexpected Guests

In the interrogation room, Elena stared with hardened brown eyes and a crease between her eyebrows at the female prisoner on the other side of the dark tinted window. The woman sat on the stainless table, ignoring the chair. She had an indignant expression but it didn't look intimidating especially when she was cuffed. Her hands were wrapped by platinum gloves that extended to her elbows, restricting her from choking someone as she had tried to do so a few hours ago. The bright light hanging above her cast shadows over her pale complexion and with her head bowed, it shielded her eyes. She was tall and slender but her toned arms betrayed her lovely appearance. Er, not that there was anything appealing about her. However, Elena had to admit that she admired the way the woman carried herself; she had balance and grace, and she moved fluidly with confidence. But her hair...

"Who the hell dyes their hair pink?" Elena wondered.

"Apparently her. Have to say though, it suits her." Cissnei answered. While Elena stood, the other Turk was seated next to her with a mug of coffee in her hand. The huge red shuriken she wielded was on the table in front of them as well as a speaker and a recording device. Elena kept in mind that two WRO guards were also in the room as well as WRO's eligible gunman, Vincent Valentine, who was lurking somewhere in the dark behind her. She never worked closely with him but even if she did she was sure she'd never grow accustomed to the man's formidable presence.

Vincent was a member of AVALANCHE. She remembered back then, when she was stubborn and ignorant, that she wanted to eradicate AVALANCHE. Not only was it her job but she thought they had attacked Tseng in the Temple of the Ancients. Everything after that, she took their actions personally.

She tried not to let it get to her. They all changed. They were all guilty of their actions in the past but they were going to make up for it. President Rufus had been funding WRO since Meteor. But it was only a few months ago that he wanted to get involved, particularly with the department in weapons and warfare.

The door suddenly opened with a shudder before light filtered in the dark room. Reeve Tuesti entered the interrogation room with President Rufus and Detective Evan Townshend behind him.

"Alright," Reeve greeted, "What's the damage?"

One of the guards spoke up. "Thirteen and seven."

"By herself." Elena added. "Good thing we were here otherwise you would have lost more men." She narrowed her eyes at the unsuspecting woman on the other side of the glass. "Also, she used magic without any materia."

Reeve grimaced.

"No joke," Cissnei reported. "We checked and she had none on her."

"How is this possible?"

"We wouldn't have believed it if we hadn't seen it." Cissnei grabbed the woman's weapon by the hilt and held it out. "She was using this."

"A gunblade," President Rufus observed, taking the weapon for a closer inspection. "Only a select few with special training can wield one of these. However, I've never seen one like this before. The design is unique. And," he paused, "what is this writing?"

Detective Townshend spoke up. "We're not sure. We've already researched the people with enough caliber to use this weapon but there's no files on her."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Evan paused. "We don't even have any records of her. No army enlistment, birth certificate; not even a name."

Silence filtered the room for a good two minutes. Elena was beginning to think that Reeve had frozen in shock. She wasn't usually scared but she had to admit, not knowing anything about a threat was definitely something to fear. President Rufus, however, seemed intrigued.

"This isn't something you're involved with, Rufus?" Reeve finally said, his voice low with a hint of suspicion. "She's not another science experiment let loose?"

"No," Rufus answered candidly.

Reeve turned to Vincent. "Vincent?"

The man shook his head, his red eyes were focused on the woman on the other side of the glass. "There is something strange about her."

"How so?"

"She feels... off."

"What does that mean?" Elena wondered.

"She does not belong," Vincent responded cryptically.

"Yeah," Cissnei agreed, "there's something weird about her. Must be her aura or something."

"This is getting nowhere." Reeve turned to the other guard next to him, his expression grave. "Have someone notify the families of the seven soldiers."

"Already taken care of, sir."

Reeve waved a dismissive hand then the guard left.

"Alright," Detective Evan said, "let's begin."

"You want us to do it?" Cissnei asked. Elena's nose wrinkled. Interrogating was never her forte and using any means to find information wasn't something she excelled at.

The detective shook his head. "I'll handle it." Before he turned to leave, he added, "Make sure you record everything."

The woman had been facing the door. Her arms were slack in front of her and she was leaning on the table, slouched. When Evan entered her head snapped up and she stared at him with a deadly expression.

"Hello. How 'bout we introduce ourselves? I'm Detective Evan—"

"Well, Evan you can shove it," the woman snapped. Her voice was deep and smooth and unflinching.

Evan wasn't fazed. "Would you at least like to explain why you were trespassing on private property?"

The woman considered. "Let me out and maybe I'll tell you."

Evan shook his head. "Can't allow that. Y'know, we would have let this slide but I'm correct to assume that you attacked first. You managed to injure thirteen soldiers and kill seven of WRO's men. Good men." Single-handedly, too, Elena thought. She didn't know whether to be impressed or intimidated.

The woman winced but then her face hardened. "Anyone who gets in my way is a target."

"Well, then, you're going to be spending a lot of time here. You can get out of this if you cooperate."

"You're not getting anything out of me."

"I can be very persuasive."

"You can try."

Evan sighed. "You look like a smart woman—"

"Flattery won't make me talk."

"You came to WRO Headquarters for a reason. You're looking for something. Intel? Maybe, but why? WRO has no information to hide or offer. Or are you looking for someone?"

"Wow, you came up with that all by yourself?" The woman scoffed. "Try again."

"The only other conclusion is that you're a threat," Detective Evan growled. "And from what we've seen so far it's true."

"So? Get on and kill me."

"We just might do that."

"They're just going back and forth," Cissnei muttered.

Reeve reached to the wall next to the door and pressed the buzzer. Evan was startled at the noise but took that as his cue to leave. He didn't acknowledge the woman as he faced his back to her but when his hand reached the door handle, she spoke.

"Wait."

Slowly, and quite dramatically, Evan turned around.

The woman's face was contorted in anguish. "I... need help."

Elena saw the smallest hint of a smile threaten to curve Evan's mouth. "Well, this wouldn't be the first time I negotiated with criminals."

"What is he thinking?" Elena hissed.

"It's fine." Reeve amended.

Elena fixed him a look. She was aware that Reeve didn't mind working with criminals since AVALANCHE was a terrorist group except this time was different. They didn't know who this woman was, where she was from, or what she was capable of. When Reeve had worked with AVALANCHE, he had done research on all the members so if they had stepped out of line he would have leverage on them. But they didn't have any leverage on this woman and killing her would only lead to more questions.

The woman looked like she wanted to say something, probably to defend herself of not being a convict, but relented.

"Of course, you'll need to answer some of our questions."

The woman pursed her lips. "You help me first."

"Fine, however you want it. What do you need?" Evan asked.

For a moment, the woman said nothing. Her eyes closed, briefly contemplating. She inhaled deeply, her chest rising then letting the air out through her nose before her eyes snapped open. "I'm looking for someone. Her name's Tifa Lockhart."

The thing about sleeping in the room over the garage was that Cloud heard anything that went in there. He had a trapdoor in his room that lead to the garage and he took full advantage of it whether he wanted to leave without alarming his family or when he just didn't feel like going down the stairs and through the living room and the kitchen to get to the garage. He was always the first to rush in there to see if any robbers thought they might get lucky. He always knew when the washing machine was finished or when Tifa was downstairs letting out some steam on the punching bag. One time, he woke up in the middle of the night and found a stray cat that snuck in to escape the rain.

Like clockwork, Cloud already heard the scraping noise of the garage door before he opened his eyes. He inwardly cursed and slipped on his pants and his sleeveless black shirt. The same door downstairs closed and Cloud reached for his leather gloves, fully alert. Before he assumed anything, he went to Tifa's room and found it empty.

Cloud groaned and checked her clock. It read 2:24 am. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Obstinate as always. Tifa had gone out for a "walk" despite his protests. What time had she left? How long had she been gone? How many bruises does she have now? Cloud was ready to rush down the stairs when he heard her padded footsteps. However, he stopped when the sound of another pair of feet followed.

She wasn't alone.

Judging by the sound of the squeaks coming from the couch, they were in the living room. He was halfway down the stairs but Cloud didn't step any further. Thanks to the mako flowing through his body their voices were as clear as day.

"You guys can't come here anymore," Tifa said, keeping her voice low. "Not much activity goes on around here, anyway. You guys should be searching."

"You should be, too," a male voice accused. He sounded young, if not, then boyish. "It's not fair, you get to sit back while we do all the work."

"I'm not," she replied, "I have to take care of my family. How else can I protect them?"

Another male voice (this one sounding older) spoke up. "She's right. We just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing. We're sorry, Tifa."

"It's alright. Just try not to come here too often, please," she said, "My friend is getting suspicious and he can't know."

What can't I know?

"Mm hmm, got you," the older man sounded too upbeat and sprightly for the situation. "So, I'll just tell the others that you'll take care of things around Edge?"

"Can you even handle that?" the young one asked in concern.

"Yes." The solemn confidence was evident in Tifa's voice. "Don't worry, just leave it to me."

Their footsteps came closer. Cloud held his breath and prayed Tifa wouldn't check the stairs but the sound of the front door opening was all that greeted his ears.

"Oh and try not to call too often," Tifa added. "Especially you."

"What's wrong with wanting to say hi?" The young one protested.

"Nothing, not unless you're blowing up my phone every five minutes."

"Well, excuse me for being so—"

Tifa shushed him. "Keep your voice down."

The older male spoke again, "Alright, from now on we'll only call when it's an emergency."

Tifa sighed. "And I'll try to help if I can."

Heavy boots stepped out into the streets. The two men said their goodbyes to Tifa just before she closed and locked the door letting an eerie silence filter in. Cloud went to turn around and step into the kids room where their window showed the front of Seventh Heaven but he didn't have the chance.

Tifa was at the foot of the stairs.

He couldn't tell who was more surprised. She was looking up at him like a deer in headlights yet when Cloud scrutinized her his breath got caught in his throat. She was wearing her old clothes. The familiar white sleeveless shirt that exposed her midriff, the black miniskirt, suspenders, red boots, red gloves complete with her black arm sleeves and metal elbow guard. He thought she had discarded the clothes a long time ago but apparently not.

Being the first to recover, Cloud asked, "Who was that?"

Tifa gaped at him and looked down before she released a shaky breath. "They're some friends of mine." She bit her bottom lip and cast a wary eye on him. "How much did you hear?"

"Everything." He folded his arms. "What was this about you helping them?"

"It's... nothing."

He raised his eyebrows. "Nothing?"

"They're just friends who need my help, okay? That's it."

That response would have been satisfactory but not this time.

Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down. "You could have just told me instead of keeping it to yourself," he growled. His harsh attitude that disappeared during their AVALANCHE days returned and it came with a vengeance. "All this time I thought you were screwing some guy behind my back."

Her expression became horrified. "W-why would you think that?"

"Maybe it had to do with the phone calls and you sneaking out at night." Cloud snapped. He tried to restrain himself. Not once did he ever direct his cold comments towards her, but dammit he couldn't help it when he got like this. "From where I was standing, it sure as hell seemed that way."

"I can't believe this." She didn't seem bothered by his tone; only his words. She shook her head and turned away.

Cloud followed her. "Tifa, stop. If you're not seeing someone, then what is this thing you've been caught up in?" He demanded. "And don't say it's nothing 'cause it sure as hell didn't sound like it."

"It doesn't matter."

"Really?" Cloud grabbed her arm. The one that had the scars and bruises that were still healing up. He unrolled her sleeve and showed her the damage. "It doesn't matter if it's something that could kill you?"

She yanked her arm away. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained."

Cloud's breathing hitched.

He stared into her eyes, his grip on her wrist loosening. How... how can she stand there and say that after everything they went through? Together, they survived. When the horrors of their past were too overwhelming, they understood the pain that glinted in their eyes. They would comfort each other when the nightmares slipped through their stable lives. A smile, a hug, a squeeze on the hand or shoulder was all that they needed to reassure each other that they understood. That it was going to be okay. She wasn't dating someone. Cloud was more than relieved at the revelation but it meant that something worse was causing her to act like this.

Quietly, he asked, "How can't I?"

Tifa shook her head adamantly. She looked like she was going to cry and his heart ached at the sight. "You just can't."

"Then, make me understand," he stepped closer to her and without thinking, put both his hands on her face to lift her gaze to meet his. "Let me help."

Like how you're always helping me. Helping the kids, friends, strangers, old enemies, everyone but yourself. He wanted her to be dependent on him for once. Wanted her to lean on his shoulder when unshed tears would flood her eyes. Wanted her to come to him whenever she was bloodied and bruised. Wanted to kiss the daylights out of her, hold her close, and protect her from whatever she was facing. She didn't have to face it alone. She taught him that.

Her ruby eyes stared back into his. They were so close, their chests touching, the tips of her feet between his and his hips were dangerously close to hers. Cloud felt chills run down his spine at not only her warmth, her proximity but the intimacy of their position that he longed for. His eyes went to her lips, his hands slid down to her neck then her shoulders and down to her waist as he leaned forward.

But slowly, she pulled away, her soft hands firm on his chest, pushing, keeping him at a distance. Without so much as another glance at him, she brushed past him and ran upstairs.

Cloud stood there for what seemed like hours.

A stray, cold wind nipped at his still body, sending shivers down his back. Since it was summer, Edge was usually warm but at night it was cool and windy. The sky was black and starless with intermittent clouds. As opposed to riding on Fenrir, Cloud had been walking for half an hour around the city. A few people were up, whether they were drunk, homeless, prostitutes, (one eyed at him suggestively) or loitering, nobody approached him.

Heading to nowhere in particular, he recalled the conversation that he overheard and tried to make sense of it. Tifa said she had to stay in Edge to protect her family. Protect us from what? There was nothing supernatural or any former enemies being resurrected that were threatening the Planet. After that mess with Deepground, their lives went sailing smoothly and Cloud was starting to believe that he would be able to finally settle down. Last time he had felt at ease was before he contacted Geostigma and the feeling of peace had been so foreign to him it made him anxious. Peace had settled in again and he was ready to lay down his weapons to start some semblance of a normal life.

But no, he huffed in frustration.

Despite the shock and the pain of rejection, he was relieved. The fact that she wasn't dating someone put him at ease. But he was wrong this whole time. She wasn't seeing anybody; she was getting herself into trouble. This time she was the one putting herself at risk.

Those two men. They said something about her taking care of things in Edge. What did that mean? And where does this leave us? We almost kissed.

Cloud felt his heart quicken. He was excited and scared of the idea of them being together. They were so comfortable where they were now. He didn't want to change that between them. What he wanted was to be closer to her than he was now without ruining it. But after the events that transpired earlier it looks like he just destroyed the chances of it ever happening.

Great.

At this point, he would have hunted down those two men Tifa was speaking to but he had nothing. He didn't hear any of their names or get a glimpse of their faces. Just two distinct voices. He could track them down but he didn't have a clue where to start and they could be anywhere by now.

Stopping in his tracks, Cloud found himself near the Edge Train Station. Instantly, he was reminded of the memory when Tifa had found him all those years ago. She had picked him up and stitched him back together. No one asked her to. That was just in her nature; to help people in need and shelter them. It had been her idea to bring in Denzel and she—we adopted him. Those two men must need her help because she was offering a great deal of it.

And they were taking and taking and taking. She was all up for giving help but getting it? That was out of the question. Cloud knew her. She always let people take advantage of her help. Even him. But if he was being honest with himself he mostly did it for her attention.

It was amazing, really. How could someone like her function like that? After all the hell she went through she stayed resilient. She continued to help people. Even when the future was uncertain and she didn't know what to do, she kept going. And she did it with a smile.

Taking a step forward, Cloud knew what he had to do.

"Denzel!"

Denzel sat up from bed, alarmed at the sudden outburst. He expected the daily wakeup call from Tifa so they would prepare for school but then he remembered that Cloud had no deliveries today and that meant it was his turn to take them to school. Whenever Cloud woke them up, he let them stay in bed an extra ten minutes, unbeknownst to Tifa. Denzel was tempted to go back to sleep but Marlene was standing by his bed, her eyes wide and on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Cloud's not in his room!"

"...Okay?"

"He's not downstairs, either!"

Denzel scrambled to his feet and made the short distance to Cloud's room, eyes wide with panic. He wasn't there. His bed was empty and so was his couch, and bathroom, and desk chair. Even the spot behind his door where he often hid when they played hide-and-seek was empty. He wasn't here. His whole room was devoid of his presence.

"Cloud?" Denzel whispered. He could already feel his throat getting clogged and he wanted to kick himself for being a crybaby. Cloud wouldn't cry. If someone went missing Cloud would mount Fenrir and be hell-bent on finding them. The thought, however, didn't soothe his mind.

"Cloud!"

The next thing they heard was a scream and a loud thud coming from the end of the hallway.

"Tifa!" They both yelled.

Denzel reached her room first and twisted the doorknob. Tifa was on the floor, her hair mussed and her clothes wrinkled. Looking around her room, Denzel's face brightened with relief before turning to confusion. Cloud was sprawled on her bed and leaning over the edge on his elbow, looking at Tifa with a placid expression.

"Why are you on my bed?" Tifa asked, breathless.

"I was sleeping," Cloud drawled.

"Then why aren't you on your bed?"

Cloud shrugged one shoulder. "'Cause you're not there."

Denzel couldn't see much of Tifa's face since her back was to them but he could tell she was blushing. Whenever Cloud said things like that Tifa would get flustered and not say anything.

Cloud glanced at them, standing in the doorway. He gave them a slanted, lazy smile. "Morning, kids."

Tifa turned to them. She looked at her alarm clock then gasped. "You two are gonna be late!" She scrambled to her feet and rushed out the door. "Go get dressed! Grab your bookbags and hurry! I'll make a quick breakfast."

When they heard Tifa's footsteps hit the bottom of the stairs, Marlene jumped on the bed and scooted over to Cloud's side, her young face pinched with worry and fury.

"We thought you were gone!" She grabbed a pillow and started smacking him with it. "Don't scare us like that!"

Cloud endured a few hits before grabbing the pillow. "Alright, alright, I get it. Come on, go get ready."

Cloud caught Denzel's eyes and the man smiled. Denzel grinned back. He was just glad Cloud hadn't left but then again...

"Hey, Cloud?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at him. "Hmm?"

"Why are you on Tifa's bed?"

Cloud stared at them for a few seconds before he stood up with a small, reassuring smile.

"So, she doesn't sneak out anymore."


	4. Where It All Started

The dim lights cast the bar in a dreary glow and the silence that pervaded the room was unsettling as Cloud returned home from making deliveries.

Unnerved by the languid atmosphere, he frowned when he spotted the dirty dishes stacked in the sink. For a second he panicked and rushed to the living room but before he could take a step a flash of white appeared and Marlene stood in front of him, her pouty lips tilted down in disapproval.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Tifa's sleeping. She was very tired today so she didn't open the bar. Oh, and we cleaned up for her," she averred proudly.

"You didn't wash the dishes," he pointed out.

"Tifa said you'd do it," she told him smugly then skipped to the living room, leaving him to follow her. Denzel sat on the armrest of the couch, looking down with a furrow between his eyebrows. When Cloud heard Tifa's soft snoring his tense shoulders relaxed. He walked up to her and removed his glove, using the back of his hand to check her temperature.

"She's not sick," Denzel informed him. "Just tired."

Cloud hummed. "You two go upstairs and get ready for bed."

"But it's only eight o'clock," Marlene protested.

Denzel tugged the end of her braid lightly. "Come on, Marlene."

They scampered up the stairs, Marlene grumbling under her breath. Cloud listened to their voices for a few minutes, hearing the running water from the sink as they brushed their teeth and the shudder of their door and the creaks of their beds. When everything was still Cloud bent down in front of Tifa and put one of his hands under her legs and the other on her back. When he stood up, she moaned and nestled her head against his shoulder.

"Cloud...?"

"It's alright. Go back to sleep."

He adjusted his arms when he reached the stairs, making sure her feet didn't hit the wall as he ascended. Pushing her bedroom door he placed her on her bed and untied her shoes then proceeded to remove her socks. As he pulled the blanket over her, Tifa shifted restlessly.

"No," she murmured. "Don't go."

Cloud froze. How ironic. He couldn't discern whether she was asleep or not but then she tugged on his sleeve and he was left to comply. He removed his boots and armor and climbed in next to her. Her mattress was big enough for both of them to fit with only a small space between them.

It had been two weeks since he started sleeping with her (not in that way) and she had yet to kick him out of her bed. He was honestly surprised she hadn't. First few nights, he learned that Tifa moved a lot in her sleep. She would involuntarily kick him, knee him, or elbow him. He didn't know if she did these things on purpose but as frequent as those were she mostly sought out comfort. Sometimes, she would snuggle towards him and tangle her sinfully long legs with his. Her soft lips would ocassionally part open and she had this way of moving her head in her sleep that just so happened to expose her smooth neck. Nights like those, he found himself stroking her silky, dark hair. Often times a soft sigh would escape from her mouth followed by a content moan that emitted from her throat. The sound of it would never get out of his head.

He was aware that he was invading her privacy and causing a rift between them but if that's what it took to make her see how much he cared; how much he wanted her to stop going on these "walks." As each day passed, she grew distant from him and the kids. Marlene and Denzel didn't press her for details but they were affected by her behavior just as much as Cloud was. He didn't know when it would end but if Tifa thought he was going back to his bed anytime soon she had another thing coming.

He made an effort to spend more time with her by taking less deliveries, helping her around the bar, accompanying her when she went grocery shopping and putting them away in the fridge but she continued to avoid him.

And that wasn't the worst part. They were suddenly strangers. Other than saying hello and asking about their day they didn't know how to talk to each other. Well, at least she didn't. Before it was him that used to be so reclusive. Now their roles were reversed.

A faint ringing interrupted his thoughts. Tifa didn't stir when Cloud swung his legs over her bed. The ringing was coming from downstairs, particularly the bar area. He padded out of Tifa's room and down the stairs. He looked around for the source of the noise and found it next to the dish rack. His insides twisted in revolt as he stared down at Tifa's cellphone.

The caller ID was labelled ANONYMOUS. Frozen, Cloud let it ring, allowing the noise to fill the void in the room. When it stopped he felt a heaviness grow upon him. He glanced at the stairs behind him before looking back down. Tentatively, he grabbed her phone with shaky fingers. He'd wait.

His patience was awarded. It started ringing again.

Cloud picked it up.

"Hey! It's me!" Cloud easily recognized the voice. It was the same man from the other day. The older one with the exuberant tone.

"..."

"It should be nighttime over there in Edge, right? Were you sleeping? Sorry if I woke you up. Anyway, look, I know you wanted to stay out of this because of your family and all but," the man on the other end sighed, "we really need your help. Isn't there some way for you to arrange things with your friend? You don't have to tell him everything. Surely, he'd understand. Just tell him it's something you need to do on your own—"

Cloud flinched. That was his excuse for the Geostigma.

"—and things will work themselves out, right? Right? Tifa? You there? Hello?"

Cloud cleared his throat. "Who is this?"

"O-oh, I'm sorry," the man laughed humorlessly. "I must have called the wrong person..."

Cloud snorted. "Stop calling this number and don't you dare answer if Tifa calls you," he growled. He flipped the phone shut and positioned it where he had found it. Cloud noticed the stack of plates and glasses piled up in the sink. He sighed wearily before he grabbed the sponge while his other hand reached for the dirty brown mug.

A week passed without incident and Cloud was relieved to see that Tifa stopped getting phone calls.

What woke him up the next morning wasn't the bright light that pierced through his eyelids. Rather it was the voices of his family and the rambunctious noise they were causing.

"Wakey-wakey!" Marlene squealed.

"Eggs and bakey," he heard Denzel say. Cloud opened his eyes and swatted the flashlight the kids were pointing at him to see that Tifa wasn't next to him on the bed. She was gathering things necessary for their trip to the Gold Saucer and placing them in her bag. She was standing by her closet, a white towel wrapped around her head, already dressed in a light blue v-neck dress. When she came by the nightstand, she looked over at Cloud calmly.

"Sleep well?" she asked, taking the towel off her head.

Cloud watched her wet hair tumble down before he closed his eyes and mumbled, "Mmm hmm."

Marlene chose that moment to jump on the bed. Cloud felt the little girl bounce as she stepped over him and open the blinds to the window. The sunlight hit his face and he pulled the blanket over his head.

"Get up, Cloud!" Marlene shouted. "Tifa says we're going to see Papa!"

Cloud turned his back to her. "She didn't say where we're going to see him."

Marlene gasped. "Where are we going? Tell me!"

"We'll found out later, Marlene," Denzel pointed out. Marlene pouted but jumped off the bed. Tifa urged the kids to dress up and they excitedly ran out the door.

"When did you wake up?" He asked, throwing the blanket aside.

"Thirty minutes before you did."

"Really?"

"Yes, anything else you want to know, detective?" Tifa hissed.

Cloud grimaced at her but he let it go. Across the room, she had her back to him. He blinked away the dark spots dancing in his vision and stood up to stretch.

"We're leaving in forty minutes," she told him. "Go take a shower."

Whatever it takes, Cloud thought. He took off his shirt and left it on her bed. "Wanna join me?" he asked boldly.

There was a moment of silence that enveloped them before Tifa turned around, her mouth open and ready to speak but instead her eyes widened. She stood still, her cheeks growing different shades of red while she gawked at his lean physique.

"I-I already took one," she stuttered.

Cloud hummed. "Maybe next time."

"T-that's not what I—" she groaned and fled the room. Cloud gathered his clothes and allowed himself to smile before heading for the bathroom. He felt a tad prideful knowing that he was the only one who could make her flustered but he didn't know how to feel knowing that parts of Zack hadn't entirely left him. Hopefully, it would bring him and Tifa closer, but no matter how close they were, there was always that thin line separating them.

I want to be closer, Cloud thought as he took a shower. The water beat down on his body, leaving little wet trails to run down to the floor and into the drain. He was still haunted by that night where he almost kissed her. She rejected him. It was one thing he was afraid she'd do. She's still that caring and wonderful person but she pushed him away, evaded his probing questions, and ignored his help. It was frustrating.

"Don't run. Let's fight it together. We can help each other. I know we can! ...I guess that only works for real families..."

But she was wrong. They were a family. Maybe not by blood but they were bound by a strong bond. It was his family. Their family, that was filled with misfits and orphans and he loved them.

Cloud stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist before he wiped the fog off the mirror to glare at his reflection. An image of his mother appeared before him and his eyes softened. Her vibrant eyes didn't glow like his but he had inherited her intense stare and her bright blonde hair. His mother was the only family he had when he was a kid. Cloud's mother and Tifa's father had burned to death along with Nibelheim. Tifa's mother had died from some sickness when she was eight and his father left him when he was an infant.

Thinking of his father made him flinch. He never met him. Never even saw a picture of him. His mom never talked about him since he abandoned her in a time of need. A bitter thought crossed his mind. Cloud had run away, too. Like a coward. Like his father, but at least he came back. And he was planning on staying, for good.

Families help each other, Tifa had said it herself, so why wasn't she letting him?

When they finally told the kids where they were going Marlene wouldn't shut up. She was talking animatedly and smiling so broadly that her face was shining as bright as the sun. Denzel, on the other hand, remained quiet. Through the hour trip to Junon and the boat ride to Costa del Sol Cloud could sense that Denzel was troubled. Before they boarded the trolley, Cloud put a hand on Denzel's shoulder signaling him to hang back so they could talk.

He looked down at the boy, his blue eyes searching. "What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing." He added hastily. I've been hearing that around here too much lately. They were going on a vacation to the Gold Saucer which, in Marlene's words, was the most spectacular and "funnest" place on the Planet.

Denzel looked up at him, his dark blue eyes shimmering wistfully. "Um, it's... I... I was just thinking about something."

"'Bout what?"

Denzel hesitated. "Well... I was just remembering something my parents said. They told me that they were going to take me here one day."

Cloud felt a sharp twist in the pit of his stomach. Well, isn't this grand?

Denzel's voice cracked. "The year the plate dropped they promised we'd all go on my summer break."

For Denzel, the struggle to keep his tears from flowing must have been difficult. Cloud was aware that Denzel looked up to him as a role model but Denzel was just twelve; still a kid. He'd never admit it outloud but Cloud was still crying when he was that age.

In the corner of his eye, Tifa glanced at them, her head tilted in concern but she didn't approach them. Denzel looked over at her before he hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry. I'm making you guys worry."

"Don't be."

"But it's better now."

Cloud raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?"

Denzel smiled. "I still miss them but I'm happy with where I am now."

Cloud found himself smiling back. He rubbed Denzel's moppy, red-brown hair and, with his hand on the boy's shoulder, they walked back to Tifa. He hoped that Denzel's parents were happy for their son. It was disheartening to think of it, but Cloud was glad they fulfilled the wish of Denzel's parents.

Removing his hand from the boy, Cloud reached for Tifa's hand and squeezed it. She stared at him, warmth radiating from her maroon eyes before a smile graced her face. As much as he wanted her to confess to him what was bothering her he knew that he just had to wait. Like Denzel, she'd tell him what it was and they'd figure it out together.

Hopefully soon.

Barret was waiting for them when their trolley landed. Marlene's face broke into a huge grin and, in her excitement, she pushed past several people when the gates opened to get to her Papa. Cloud and Tifa had to apologize to the people, some of which scrutinized them, but they brushed them off.

The Gold Saucer was the same as Cloud remembered. The only thing different was the hoards of people dressed up in weird costumes. Hundreds of performers wore outrageous bright clothing and masks decorated with beads and feathers. One performer wearing a purple knee length skirt and a strapless bikini had the courage to place a flower crown on his spiky hair, smiling at him before dancing away.

"I thought Halloween was over," Cloud muttered. He handed the flower crown over to Marlene who was perched on top of her father's shoulders.

Marlene beamed with excitement. "What's all this for, Papa?"

"They're having some dance or sumthin' near the Wonder Square. We'll go later, baby girl."

Easing their way out of the crowd, Barret led them to a vacant spot near a vending machine. Next to it was a picnic table occupied by three people. Putting Marlene down, she and Denzel walked over to the group, friendly smiles gracing their young faces. The man with light blonde hair looked up and glared at Cloud with steely blue eyes while sipping from his stainless coffee container.

"'Bout damn time you showed up," he said gruffly. "This is my third cup of tea."

"I don't remember inviting you, Cid," Cloud said coolly. He nodded at Shera in greeting who suppressed her chuckle behind her hand.

"Oh, I see how it is. I'll just fuckin' up and leave if you don't want me here. C'mon, Shera."

Tifa laughed. "Cloud's just messing with you, Cid. Although, I didn't think you'd want to come here again."

"Why the hell not?" The pilot demanded.

"You're still too sensitive about these things. You used to complain about all the noise and ruckus," Tifa teased, gesturing around her.

"Bet he still does," Cloud added.

"He does," Shera confirmed.

Cid scowled at them and took another swig of his tea.

There was a low chuckle that was directed towards Cloud and Tifa. "You're both one to talk. I'd say you two haven't changed much since then."

Things had grown even more interesting. Cloud didn't recognize him but now he did. He turned his attention to the man wearing khaki shorts and a chocobo printed short sleeve shirt.

"Reeve," Cloud nodded at the older man. It was weird seeing him in casual clothes. "What brings you here?"

Reeve smiled warmly. "Not happy to see me, Cloud?"

Barret snorted. "He ain't happy to see no one."

"Damn boy wants some alone time with his girl," Cid declared with a sneer.

Cloud ignored them however he took note how sweaty Tifa's hand had become. From the corner of his eye, she had one leg behind the other and tapped her foot against the floor as she glanced at anywhere but him.

He repressed a smirk and cleared his throat then turned his attention back to Reeve. "Just wasn't expecting you to show up."

"When I heard that you were all coming here I decided to award myself with a day off."

Tifa smiled. "I'm surprised Yuffie didn't tag along. Or is she hiding somewhere nearby?"

Reeve laughed. "No, she's not. Hard to believe it, but she said she had some important matters to attend to."

Cloud couldn't help but ask, "And you don't?"

Reeve smiled. "I needed time off."

"Everyone needs a break now and then," Tifa agreed. "How've you been, Reeve?"

"Just fine. There's still much work to do but it's nothing I can't handle."

Cloud spoke up. "I heard that there was some lunatic who tried to break into WRO Headquarters. Is that just a rumor?"

"No, it's not," Reeve answered carefully. Cloud noticed Marlene and Denzel both speaking with hushed voices to Shera, Cid, and Barret while glancing at him and Tifa. "But I'm not here to discuss any of that—"

"—yeah, Cloud and Tifa started sleeping together."

"MARLENE!" Tifa shrieked.

"I didn't need ta know that," Barret grumbled.

Cid guffawed before he slapped his knee, clearly enjoying the revelation.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Something funny, Cid?"

Cid shook his head and stared at Cloud, his eyes wide with a toothy grin. "'Bout damn time, kid! How 'bout a wager? Let's see who gets a baby first!" he challenged. "Me and Shera versus you and Tifa!"

Cloud shook his head in amusement but he felt the corners of his lips tugging upwards. Taking note of Tifa's flushed face he turned to Barret. "You remember what I told you?"

Barret scratched his chin with his prosthetic hand. "Huh? Oh yeah. Don't worry 'bout Marlene and Denzel. I'll watch over them fer ya."

Tifa blinked. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Tifa." Barret looked over to Marlene and smiled fondly. "I've been looking forward to spending time with my baby girl, and the little man, too."

"Good." Cloud said. He released his hand from Tifa's and placed it on her lower back. "'Cause we gotta get going."

"So soon?" Shera asked, dismayed.

"They wanna start working on that baby," Cid snickered.

Reeve stepped forward. "Wait, Cloud. There's something I'd like to speak to you about."

I knew it.

"All right." He looked over at Tifa. "I'll be back." He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance despite the churning sensation he felt in the pit of his stomach, and followed Reeve.

Reeve smiled fondly at the sight before him. "This place brings back memories."

"Yeah. This... this is where it all started," Cloud agreed. He pointed over to the staircase as he settled next to Reeve by the high waist barricade. "Remember that? Over there, you handed the Keystone to Tseng."

Reeve didn't wince at his blunt statement but his eyes darkened. "The intruder who broke into our headquarters—"

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Truthfully Cloud didn't care. He had only mentioned it earlier just to make conversation.

Reeve nodded and stared at Cloud, his dark eyes shimmering with anxiety. "Cloud, the intruder, she used magic without any materia."

Cloud raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Yeah, and chocobos can fly."

"We checked her and she had none on her. We scraped some footage of when she attacked and it was... it was nothing I had seen before. The kind of power and summons she was using was impressive."

"That's kind of hard to believe. How could she have used magic if not with materia?

"I don't know. Well, Vincent did say that there was something strange about her," Reeve paused and focused his stern gaze onto Cloud. "And another thing, this woman, she said she was looking for Tifa."

Cloud snapped his head towards him.

"Now, I've got your attention."

Cloud felt a cold, stray wind as he bit back the sinking feeling in his gut. "What did she want?"

"She said Tifa was a friend and that she needed her help."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows. Help. Those two men who came a few weeks ago also said the same thing. That couldn't be a coincidence. But even if it was connected it still doesn't clarify what sort of mess Tifa's tangled in.

"Know anything of this?" Reeve asked.

"No."

But I'm gonna find out. Very soon.

"What else did this woman want?" Cloud asked, handing the device back.

"Nothing else. She won't tell us anything unless she talks with Tifa." Reeve shifted uncomfortably. "Actually I was wondering if Tifa would be so kind as to help us."

There was something about the way Reeve carefully said that that made Cloud narrow his eyes. "You accusing her of something?" Cloud inquired, voice low.

Hell, maybe she was behind something but, friend or not, he'd be damned if he was going to let Reeve or anyone else lock her up.

Reeve shook his head. "No, but it's strange. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting for Tifa and—"

"I think that's a decision for Tifa to make. Why didn't you just ask her?"

"I thought it was best to confide in you first."

"Whatever you think, Reeve, it doesn't mean Tifa is guilty," Cloud growled. "I don't know what your aim is but there's a difference between being involved and being the culprit."

Reeve sighed wearily. "Right, of course. But Cloud, something, I'm not sure what, is coming. Call me delusional but I can feel it. It's happening and whatever it is I don't like it."

"That makes two of us." Cloud shook his head in dismay. "Anything else I should know about?"

"You should know this already but keep an eye out for the Turks. Rufus has been a huge help with building WRO but he was with us during the interrogation. I don't know what he has in mind but I believe he's hoping to exploit this woman. So, he might try to, I don't know, kidnap Tifa because he thinks she might know something."

"Rufus is an idiot if he tries anything."

"I told him the same thing." Reeve chuckled.

Footsteps resonated softly toward them from behind and, alarmed, Cloud looked over his shoulder just as a woman approached them. She was pretty with curly red hair and light brown eyes. He didn't let her looks fool him, though. She was wearing a black suit.

"Ah I almost forgot," Reeve spoke, "Cloud, this is Cissnei."

Cloud nodded at Cissnei then glanced at Reeve with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't you just tell me to watch out for the Turks?"

"I assure you, Cloud, that I am on your side," Cissnei answered coolly. Cloud stared back at her with equal intensity in his eyes. She tilted her head as she observed him in mild contemplation. "Last time I saw you you could hardly walk."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

Before Cissnei could reply, Reeve stepped in. "I will leave you two. Cloud, remember what I said."

As Reeve left Cissnei took his spot on the balcony and leaned her forearms on the metal bar. Cloud stared hard at her. "Do I know you?"

Cissnei smiled but it was laced with sadness and then replaced with a bleak expression. "I was a friend of Zack." she said quietly.

Cloud's eyes drifted down. Of course. Zack was adored among SOLDIER. I... I think he even had a fanclub. Someone like him definitely made a lot of friends. Cloud opened his mouth to say something but his throat suddenly became too dry so he closed it.

Cissnei smiled wistfully. "You shouldn't blame yourself, you know."

"I don't." Not anymore.

"But you used to, I can tell," she said firmly. Cissnei pressed her lips together and folded her gloved hands in front of her. "I felt the same way, too. Sometimes I still feel like there was something I could have done. Something different... and maybe he'd still be here."

Cloud felt his fingers curling into a fist as he tucked his chin. He didn't meet her eyes, didn't want to see the nostalgia hidden inside, didn't want to get dragged to the past as he had willingly done so before. Tifa once told him that there was always a time to mourn but that it was never good to drown yourself in it. He had become better at it but sometimes he found himself slipping and he'd always turn to her whenever he did.

"You miss him?"

Cloud didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the sky and smiled fondly. At that moment a star twinkled just as a soft wind stirred, making his hair brush lightly across his face.

"Yes," he finally replied. He missed Zack terribly but he had died so that Cloud could live. Cloud had been so distraught and disgusted with himself for forgetting someone as important as him but Zack, and Aerith, were in a better place, both silently watching over him. It's not quite the same as having them here but he already made peace with it a long time ago.

Cissnei cleared her throat, snapping him out of his reverie. Her expression was fierce. "Cloud, I want you to listen to me carefully."

As Cloud went back to the group he was surprised to see that Tifa wasn't with them. Shera informed him that she went to the restroom but hadn't returned after ten minutes. Instead of waiting Cloud made a beeline to the bathroom, manuevering past numerous people and performers. He stopped instantly once he saw her but he noted that she was nowhere near the bathroom. She was standing next to a vending machine talking to a performer.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. From afar, the performer she was speaking with seemed too imposing and muscular. His mask covered everything but his mouth, nose, and jaw. His purple suit looked like armor and there seemed to be tail feathers extending from the back of his pants and—was he carrying a spear?

Tifa was doing most of the talking, with her head tilted up as she was a head shorter. The man occasionally nodded or said something in return with his chin tucked down. They were close, too close, Cloud noted. Almost as if they were going to kis—

At that moment someone bumped into Cloud.

The teenager gave him a cheeky grin and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout that!" he apologized.

With a frustrated groan and a few seconds of glowering at the kid with sandy blonde hair, Cloud turned back to Tifa. But the man was gone.

Cloud walked right up to her.

From behind, he put his hand on her lower back and leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Who was that?"

Tifa's shoulders tensed before she turned her head and met his piercing gaze. "What?"

"The man you were talking to."

"An old friend," she answered earnestly. "Why?"

"Nothing," he said. He took her hand and led her away from the vending machine. "Hey, let's go to the Wonder Square."

She tilted her head. "What for?"

"You'll see."

Tifa's hair tickled Cloud's neck as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I thought you didn't like dancing, Cloud."

"I don't." He grunted. But she did and that was good enough for him. He didn't know what he was doing. He was just holding her and swaying side to side, back and forth. He gulped as he felt the pressure of her breasts against his chest and the honey scent coming from her hair did little to distract him.

Other couples danced around them. The music was mostly loud and upbeat but as luck would have it they arrived at the Wonder Square just as the slow and mellow songs started playing.

They had said goodbye to their friends and the kids, and Cloud nodded at Reeve in understanding before he and Tifa left. He had two whole weeks with her and he couldn't help but feel smug knowing that he managed to get her alone without her suspecting a thing. Aside from her current situation (whatever it was) there was some other things he wanted to discuss with her. His heart began racing just at the thought of it.

Tifa leaned back and gazed into his eyes. "So..."

"Yeah?"

She bit her lip, her eyes looking far away. "N-never mind."

"Cissnei," he blurted. Looking at Tifa's stunned expression he continued, "Reeve wanted to introduce me to a Turk named Cissnei."

Tifa seemed to believe him. "Oh, what for? You don't have another job, do you?"

Sometimes their old friends would call in a favor and ask Cloud for his much needed help. This always worried Tifa and he could already see the panic forming on her face.

"No," he reassured her, "No, nothing like that. Cissnei used to be a friend of Zack's. Said she wanted to meet me since I was with him when he died."

"Oh."

Well, that wasn't the only reason but Cloud tried not to think about what Cissnei informed him so he focused on Tifa. Something akin to relief washed over her face before her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "She asked you about Zack? It doesn't—you're not...?"

"Tifa, I'm fine."

She sighed. "Sorry, I'm just trying to understand."

Her words suddenly hit him.

You wouldn't understand.

"Tifa."

"Yes?"

In the midst of the square with dancing couples surrounding them, they were the only ones standing still. He bought his hand up to her face to brush away a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes, and sighed. "Just... just because I don't understand, it doesn't mean I don't care."

He picked up the pace with the other dancers and started swaying again.

Tifa followed suit but this time she put her hands around his neck and pulled him in an embrace. "I know." She whispered.


	5. The Next Step

_...in trouble._

_gunblade..._

_...caught by WRO._

_Tifa..._

Anything else she was not able to hear for she had to compete with the boisterous dissonance that surrounded her. Cloud Strife had allowed her to borrow his villa in Costa del Sol and she had been lying down on the bed attempting to sleep but opted to go for a walk to clear her head. That was when she heard the two talking.

It has been five months and thirteen days since she had contacted the Seventh Heaven family. They had taken her in without question and let her live with them for three years. They were... unusual, or perhaps it was her that felt out of place upon staying with them. Regardless, her time spent living with them was... happy. Normal. A concept so strange to her that she needed to leave them in order to see how normal she had become. And now she found herself tailing two people; two people that were discussing about Tifa.

Shelke knew what the woman was like. She reminded her of Shalua. The bits and scraps of her memories were vague and unclear but her sister was always there beside her, and now she wasn't...

For a moment she let her thoughts wander. Tifa had reminded her so much of Shalua. Before she was taken, Shalua was her only family and being the older one she took care of her. She could not recall anything about their parents; they were practically strangers. Shalua had fought life and limb for her, and Shelke could see a little bit of that in Tifa.

Shelke sensed that Tifa would have lifted mountains if it meant protecting the ones she cared for. She was strong and kind and patient. Shelke could not see someone like her making enemies given that she was always friendly toward others. The two people who were discussing about her must have been acquainted with Tifa at some point then.

She followed the two to the beach where they settled among the rocks and set up a small campfire behind the cliffs. It was a perfect hiding spot, but they were vulnerable as they were cornered with only one exit. Shelke didn't plan on attacking them. That was not necessary. She would just gather intel and keep track of them afterwards.

Shelke hid behind a large rock, leaning against it as she sat down with both her hands on her fuel rods. Taking a risk, she peeked over the side and listened.

A woman and a man. Both young. Probably as old as her. The woman sat on the sand with her legs folded under her while the man sat cross legged, poking at the campfire with a stick.

"How far is Edge?" The girl asked.

"It's right across the ocean from here."

The girl looked at him curiously. "You said that Tifa works in a bar?"

"I think she owns it. She probably does." He snapped his fingers. "Oh man. I forgot to ask her that."

The girl stared out at the sea, her quiet eyes looked nostalgic. "I want to see it."

The man jerked his head up towards the girl. "What?"

"Well," she looked away. "her bar. We'll drop by to say hi. I haven't even seen her, yet you have."

The boy sighed. "I dunno. Tifa said she didn't want us to see her again unless it was an emergency."

"I know, but it's alright to visit, isn't it? Besides, who knows how long we'll stay here until we all have to go."

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess." The guy shrugged. "Let's not go anytime soon though. It's only been two weeks and she doesn't want us all in one place. Cause' you know if we all get together—"

"I understand."

That seemed to be the end of their conversation. Shelke stayed for a few minutes in case they were going to discuss anything else but eventually withdrew. She did not know who she could tell this to. Surely, it was none of her concern but she couldn't just keep it to herself either...

Cloud spotted it again on his way home from a delivery. How couldn't he? This time it was heading towards Seventh Heaven.

Damn it. His heart was racing. The weird crystal monster moved sluggishly and was shaped like a man. Its vibrant light blue skin and odd shape stood out amongst the dull, grey that was associated with Edge.

When he drew near the creature, Cloud parked his bike to the side and retrieved his sword from its compartment. A few passerbys glanced at him strangely but immediately deserted the street. Monsters were never usually spotted in the city but when Kadaj had attacked the city, citizens were a bit wary. People still remembered how AVALANCHE defended the city and they knew that Cloud brandishing his sword meant that they needed to hightail it to safety.

Cloud guessed right and the humanoid monster was the exact same as the one he had seen while on his ride from Junon. The only difference was that it didn't move like Sephiroth. It seemed smaller and was holding something huge in its hands. He finally reached the crystal monster and raised his sword over his head. The monster reacted so quick he didn't see it move but one second it had its back turned to him and the next it was blocking his sword with its own. Cloud grunted and struggled against it. He stared hard at it, it was the closest he had been to these things and if it was another Sephiroth clone then this was something he could no longer ignore. But what he saw made his jaw drop.

It was him.

It was like looking at a mirror. Cloud saw an exact image of himself staring right back at him. Its eyes were empty, devoid of expression, and completely soulless.

The monster pushed him back, making him stumble. It swung its sword at him and Cloud realized too late that it really was an exact carbon copy of him complete with its own Buster Sword. It seemed to move like him, too. He dodged the swing but the tip grazed his arm, making him wince. It did an upward thrust but Cloud blocked it. He removed one of the side blades from his fusion sword and used his other hand to strike. The clone staggered and fell sideways. Cloud didn't hesitate and stabbed it. A crunching noise came out of its mouth but it was too distorted for him to make out what it said, although he did note that it sounded eerily like him. He watched with mild fascination as the million facets of crystals that it was made of begin to lift toward the sky and dissolve.

Cloud opened the garage behind Seventh Heaven and parked his bike. He mounted off and adjusted his jacket. He hissed as he spotted the cut that the thing gave him. The gash was deep enough to cut through his favorite jacket and leave a small scar on his arm. He wasn't worried too much about it but Tifa had given the jacket as a Christmas present.

"You wanna be a tough guy, you gotta look it," she had joked, smiling at him. "Besides, when I saw this I... it made me think of you and that maybe you would like it?"

He did, and now it was ruined.

Removing his goggles, his phone started to ring. Without bothering to check who it was he answered it. "Yeah?"

"Cloud Strife."

"Shelke." He sighed. She still hasn't changed. Addressing people by their full name was a habit she didn't seem to be dropping anytime soon. "Hey. Is there something you need?"

"I have some information that you might find interesting. It's about Tifa."

Cloud looked over his shoulder at the closed door that led to the kitchen and lowered his voice. "What about her?"

"I recently came into contact with two people who seem to be acquianted with her. They were discussing how Tifa would not want to see them." She paused. "I informed Vincent about this first then he told me to tell you."

"Okay, start from the beginning."

And so she told him.

Cloud rubbed his eyes as Shelke finished telling him everything. "I am curious to know about this," she said at last.

"Why don't you ask her then?"

"I do not think Tifa would inform me of this. These two friends of hers have been hanging around Costa del Sol for a while. I don't think it's good if I were to approach them." Shelke paused. "I took a picture of them but it is difficult to discern their faces."

"You mind sending it to me?"

"Sending it to you now."

Shelke hung up after that. Cloud leaned on Fenrir, his phone in hand as he waited with baited breath.

Two people. They were young. Possibly late teens but he could be wrong. The girl had long straight brown hair. The image was blurry so he couldn't make out her face. Did she have blue eyes or green eyes? She wore some sort of exotic dress with a wide yellow belt on her stomach. What were those called? A kimono. The person next to her was a guy a few inches taller with sandy blonde hair and a faint tan covering his skin. He wore grey and aqua pants with a white dress shirt under his metallic vest and his knee high boots and elbow length gloves seemed to also be made of the same metal. Cloud couldn't decide if he wore that for luxury or for combat. Maybe both.

After a few seconds of examining the image, he sent the picture to Cissnei and requested her for a background check on the two. He fished his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, his thumping heart ringing in his ears.

What the hell is going on? First he fought... whatever that thing was. He refused to fathom the idea that it was him. It couldn't have been. It looked like him. Maybe someone was making clones of him? But why? And what about the Sephiroth-esque clone that he saw in the forest? It was no coincidence that they were both light blue and seemed to be made of crystal.

And then there was Tifa. She's got some friends who need her help with... something. Were they somehow connected? Cloud had no clue what to make out of all of this but he knew that this whole ordeal needed to end.

He stepped into the kitchen and saw that Tifa had already prepared dinner for him. Usually around this time she was in the living room, curled up on the armchair with a book in her hands as she waited for him to come home but that was only after she cleaned the bar and washed the dishes. She wasn't in the living room and Cloud didn't hear the running water from the bar or her light footsteps as she walked across the room to clean the tables. It was strangely empty and immediately he began to panic.

"Tifa?" He called out.

"I'm in the bar."

As soon as he walked in, his body tensed.

"Yo," Reno greeted.

From his seat, Rufus finished his drink. "Cloud. We were beginning to wonder if you would show up, and just when I was about to leave."

Rufus wore a tailored white suit and tie and was drinking water while eying him lackadaisically. He no longer had the bandages around his head nor was he wearing a robe but he was still bound to a wheelchair. Even then Cloud wouldn't hesitate to throw him out. He knew Rufus could walk without any problems but for some reason he confined himself to the damn thing. You'd think that despite finding some common ground in the past Cloud would tolerate Rufus but he knew that he always had some ulterior motive.

"What do you want?" Cloud demanded.

"I actually stopped by for a drink and—"

"Get out."

Rufus sighed. "Asking me questions and then interrupting me before I could finish?" He shook his head then glanced at Tifa. "How do you live with him?"

Instinctively, Cloud stepped closer to Tifa. He remembered how Reeve told him to watch out for Rufus and the Turks and about how they might try getting to Tifa for information about the mysterious woman that they caught. Guess this is what he meant.

Sneaky bastard did it while I was away, too.

"I'm here now," Cloud said. "so make it quick."

"I just want a word with you and then we'll get out of your hair."

Cloud clenched his jaw but relented. The sooner he had to say what he needed the sooner he'd leave. "Fine."

They went outside to the entrance of the bar to talk in private. Thank Gaia for that. Not only did he not want Tifa listening but he wouldn't need to walk Rufus out when they'd finish.

"Notice anything... strange happening?" Rufus started.

Besides you coming here just to ask me that, when you could have one of your bozos do it for you? Instead he said, "No."

Rufus gave him a look from the corner of his eyes before lazily shifting to the empty road in front of them. "Well, I'm assuming that you've been informed about the intruder at WRO headquarters."

"Reeve told me. What about it?"

"How much did he tell you?"

"He told me enough so that I would keep a sharp eye out for anything."

Rufus seemed satisfied with his answer. "And have you seen anything?"

"I just said no," he snapped.

"Nothing at all?" Rufus pressed.

"I don't know anymore than you do." Cloud answered. He wasn't lying. Though, from what Reeve told him there was no denying that whatever it was Tifa was somehow involved. And Cloud knew that Rufus knew that Tifa was the key to probably understanding this whole problem, but she wasn't budging. If she wasn't telling Cloud a damn thing then he couldn't imagine why she'd say anything to Rufus.

Rufus turned his head and focused his eyes on him. Cloud stared right back, not the least bit intimidated. "Why are you so interested about the intruder at WRO, anyway?"

"You would be, too." Rufus craned his neck and peeked into the small crack of the bar door. "Your girlfriend sure seems to know a great deal."

Cloud scoffed. Good luck asking her.

"Well, sorry to waste your time but like I said, I don't know anything. Now get out."

Rufus sighed but barked for Reno and the lanky redhead stumbled outside. Rufus gave Cloud another distressed look. "If you do find out anything, then you know how to contact me."

Cloud huffed impatiently. "You're shit out of luck, Rufus. Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you a damn thing."

Rufus didn't seem fazed but after a second his eyes hardened. "Your cooperation would be most beneficial, Cloud. At least tell Reeve."

"No promises."

Cloud walked back into the bar and locked the door behind him. Tifa looked up from behind the counter as she was drying wet glasses with a white rag.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"He's just fishing for information... which I don't have." Cloud crossed his arms and tapped his finger. "Tifa, we gotta talk."

"Are you moving out of my room?" She asked hopefully.

"Not even close." He glanced down at himself and looked over to her sheepishly. "But first, you mind fixing my jacket?"

They both went upstairs to her room. Tifa sat on her desk chair with Cloud's jacket in her lap while she sewed the hole with a thread and needle. Cloud leaned against the headboard of her bed and watched her, trying to figure out how the hell this was going to work.

Tifa sighed. "If you're going to ask me about—"

"I'm not." Cloud interjected. She raised her eyebrows and looked up from her work to stare at him. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something else."

"Oh, about what?"

Shit. He didn't think he'd get this far. His "brilliant" plan that he created was to get Tifa to tell him everything about what the hell was going on with her. The first step was to get the kids outta the picture. They were a big help with keeping an eye on Tifa while he was doing deliveries but if her problem posed a threat to everyone then they needed to be somewhere safe and far away. Cissnei was also helping him, and with Shelke calling him earlier he suppose she was also included.

However, the next part of his plan was tricky...

Cloud gulped and sat up. "I was hoping you would come with me to Costa del Sol."

"To Costa del Sol...? Why?"

Cloud pursed his lips and looked around the room nervously.

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Does it have to do with why Rufus came today?"

Cloud shook his head. Rufus wanted to learn whatever Tifa knew but she wouldn't even tell Cloud what that was.

He cleared his throat. "I was just thinking that it'd be a good opportunity to—I mean, Marlene and Denzel are with Barret and you and me," Cloud rubbed the back of his neck. "we're uh, not doing anything so I figured why not."

Shut up. Just shut up. Sweet Gaia, he could feel his stomach burning. His shirt was sticking to his back thanks to all the sweat and the palm of his hands were getting clammy.

"The villa that I-we purchased back then it's still there. We could stay there for a...vacation." He finished lamely.

She blinked. "Didn't you give that place to Shelke?"

"I let her borrow it. Besides I already talked to her. She said she left last week."

"Oh."

Cloud could feel his face getting warm. "Well...I'll let you think about it."

He left her room immediately after. If she agrees, then it's all set. He did want to go on a vacation with her, however there was also the plan that he had discussed with Cissnei. He was going to help her when he found the chance but he didn't know how long that would take and he didn't want to leave Tifa by herself. Otherwise she might go on one of her "walks" and who knows what could happen to her without him closeby.

He went to his room and waited. An hour passed since then and he thought Tifa fell asleep and that he would have to wait for her answer tomorrow. What surprised him was that she ended up coming to him.

"All right." She said. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't place. "I'll go."

"You will? Okay."

"Sorry for deciding so long. It just seemed kind of sudden." Smiling, she held up his jacket to him. "Try not to tear it up again."

He nodded and felt his heart stop when she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"It's been so long since we were here," Tifa said.

Cloud hummed in agreement and set the groceries down on the dining table. They arrived at the villa early and the first thing Tifa did was raid the fridge. Shelke didn't seem to have any etiquette when it came to food much to Tifa's chagrin so they went grocery shopping. Cloud didn't want Tifa cooking on their vacation but they were going to be here for a week and she said that she didn't want to eat out every night because it would be too expensive.

Cloud stepped into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. A week. They were gonna spend a week in Costa del Sol together... without the kids... completely alone...

Cloud was never romantic so he had no idea what couples did or should do. He asked Cid which turned out to be a huge mistake that he would regret. Cid's suggestion was to rent a hotel room for a month, leave a "Do not disturb" sign on the door and never come out. He then proceeded to goad and mock him for not having the balls to make the first move on what he considers an already established relationship.

He and Tifa usually did stuff that the kids wanted to do but now they weren't here. He was perfectly content with staying inside and just relaxing with her but what if she didn't want that? Maybe they could go to the beach and rent a few surf boards? Maybe go hiking and sightseeing? He did hear that there was a waterfall somewhere in the forest that they could visit but that was two hours from here, and then there is the fireworks show in a few days. Whatever he planned always seemed to get thwarted and he still didn't know what she wanted to do so he'd have to improvise.

Tifa knocked on the door and poked her head inside. For some reason, her face was flushed. "You want to go to the beach?"

"Yeah, sure."

When he finished changing into his bathing shorts, he walked outside and tried hard not to gawk at her. She was already dressed in a cropped blue button up shirt that was tied in the front with white shorts and flip flops. Underneath she was wearing a black bikini and she had sunglasses on top of her head. She had a bag under her arm and a red towel in the other. Cloud thought she looked beautiful but she always did.

"You ready?" She asked. He nodded and followed her out.

They spent the next two hours at the beach. It was sunny and thus crowded. Cloud didn't let the horde of people sour his mood because Tifa seemed to be enjoying herself and that was enough for him. As he thought, they did end up renting two surf boards and took lessons. Tifa, of course, was a natural and did it with ease while he struggled. He opted to watch her and admired at how fluid and graceful she looked. The wide and excited smile she had was contagious and he found himself grinning like an idiot at just the sight. They took a break and Tifa took the opportunity to sunbathe and read, and Cloud blushed madly as if he was some sort of teenager as he applied sunblock on her back.

As cheesy as it was, they lingered on the shoreline and watched the sunset. Tifa quickly put their stuff back at the villa and grabbed two beers. Now they were just walking on the pier, holding hands. Cloud took a swig of his drink and felt some semblance of peace and content wash over him. In the back of his mind he knew that Tifa was still troubled from the problems she refused to tell him but after today he didn't seem to feel any of that. Today felt like a regular vacation where he could bask in the view while enjoying the company of a beautiful woman whom he loved.

Cloud gulped. He always knew it but saying it outloud was one thing he could never bring himself to say. Even after living with her for years he was such a coward.

He loved her. There was no way around it. And it wasn't until recently that he was absolutely certain that she felt the same way about him.

Tifa wrapped her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder. Despite the heat and the fact that her long dark hair stuck to his skin, he wanted to envelop her in his arms and kiss her. Before he often felt this strong urge to do just that but there was always something that prevented him. Now there wasn't anything stopping him.

So he did.

Without warning or hesitation, he clumsily brought his lips to hers. He felt a bead of sweat fall down the side of his face as he pressed his mouth against hers. Her sweet lips tasted like beer and the bottle that she was holding dropped from her hand and fell. Other than that she was unresponsive and seemed shocked or dazed, but he couldn't tell.

He pulled away, feeling almost ashamed to kiss her without her permission. She blinked at him and he could feel his body churning from the way she was looking at him. For a few seconds, they stood like that. Disheartened, Cloud took a step back, his mouth already opening to apologize but she stopped him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back fiercely.

A few seconds later, she pressed her face against his and laughed. "Took you long enough."


End file.
